- The issue at hand is not just about budgets and numbers; it is about Kenya’s moral, constitutional, and developmental obligation to provide quality, accessible education to every child.
- Parliament must revisit and restore the full capitation amount of KSh 22,244 per secondary school learner and a commensurate amount for primary school.
- If the government can’t fund education adequately and transparently, it shouldn’t make promises to the millions of young Kenyans who walk long distances in worn-out uniforms, daring to dream.
In what can only be described as a moment of deep contradiction within government ranks, recent statements on the future of Kenya’s free education programme have left education stakeholders, parents, school heads, and most importantly, millions of learners in an anxious limbo.
On one hand, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has boldly claimed that the government can no longer sustain full capitation funding for free education. He argues that the economy cannot bear the weight of rising enrolment figures amid fiscal constraints. On the other hand, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and President William Ruto have strongly refuted this assertion, with both insisting that free education remains intact and will continue. The question, then, is this: who should the nation believe, and what is really happening behind the scenes?
This conflicting messaging is not only confusing, it is dangerous.
As Scholar Media Africa editorial desk, we are deeply concerned by the direction this conversation is taking. The issue at hand is not just about budgets and numbers; it is about Kenya’s moral, constitutional, and developmental obligation to provide quality, accessible education to every child.
The capitation programme, introduced during President Mwai Kibaki’s administration and expanded under President Uhuru Kenyatta was never meant to be a political talking point. It was a transformative social contract, one that assured even the most disadvantaged Kenyan child a fighting chance at success through education. Reducing or delaying these funds, as is already happening, undermines this foundational promise.
We cannot mince our words here: Kenya’s education system is on the brink, and the government’s indecisiveness is to blame.
Schools across the country are already feeling the pinch. Headteachers have spoken out about debts piling up, inability to pay non-teaching staff, and insufficient resources for basic operations like feeding programs, exams, and utilities. While the Ministry of Education insists capitation funds are being disbursed, principals report delays, reductions, and a lack of transparency in the process. These gaps are not only inconveniences, they are crises.
In universities, the situation is equally dire. The introduction of the new Higher Education Funding (HEF) model was meant to increase access, particularly for needy students. However, without timely disbursement of funds from HELB and other state agencies, thousands of students get stranded: unable to pay fees, cater for accommodation, or focus on their academic journey. The dream of higher education is turning into a nightmare for many young Kenyans.
How did we get here?
It is clear that the Treasury’s justification—that “we cannot afford full capitation”—is both flawed and shortsighted. Education is not a luxury. It is not a favour. It is a right, enshrined in Article 53 of the Constitution, which guarantees every child free and compulsory basic education. To suggest, as some government officials have, that capitation must be scaled down to suit budgetary limitations is to undermine this constitutional right.
The capitation crisis also reveals deeper structural issues within our governance. Parliament, which holds the national purse, must also shoulder part of the blame. By slashing the education budget without a sustainable plan for schools, it has failed in its oversight and representative duties. While the Executive and Education Ministry pledge continuity, the fiscal reality on the ground tells a different story.
So, what must be done?
First, the government must prioritise education funding, period. That means ring-fencing capitation in every budget cycle, ensuring it is disbursed in full and on time. A proper schedule: disbursing 50% in Term 1, 30% in Term 2, and 20% in Term 3 must be enforced and adhered to without delay.
Second, Parliament must revisit and restore the full capitation amount of KSh 22,244 per secondary school learner and a commensurate amount for primary school. These figures were not plucked from thin air, they represent the actual cost of educating a child in today’s Kenya. Anything less passes the burden onto poor parents, many of whom are already struggling under the weight of a broken economy.
Third, the Ministry of Education must establish an emergency buffer fund for schools facing extreme hardship due to delayed or underfunded capitation. This will ensure that learning is not disrupted while fiscal processes catch up.
Fourth, transparency and accountability must be central. The confusion seen in recent weeks is a symptom of a lack of coordination between key government ministries. Kenyans need clarity, not contradiction. A child in Kisii or Mandera or Kilifi cannot afford to be a casualty of bureaucratic miscommunication.
Lastly, the government must resist the temptation to play politics with education. The cost of not investing in the education of our youth is far greater than any short-term fiscal saving. A poorly educated population is a national liability: economically, socially, and politically.
As Scholar Media Africa, we have chronicled the transformative power of education. We have featured stories of young people who rose from poverty to purpose, from hardship to hope—because they had access to quality, free education. We know, without a doubt, that the future of this nation rests on classrooms, not boardrooms.
It is, therefore, a betrayal of monumental proportions to see a government that campaigned on the promise of youth empowerment and equality now hesitating to invest in the very system that could secure that future.
In conclusion, the message from this editorial desk is clear: Don’t betray the learner. Fund education. Protect the capitation. Prioritise the future.
If the government cannot commit to funding education adequately and transparently, then it has no business making promises to the millions of young Kenyans who rise each morning, wear worn-out uniforms, walk long distances to school, and dare to dream.
The world is watching. The children are waiting. Let us not fail them.
— Editor, Scholar Media Africa.
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